Introducing Foods to Babies

I had a great question today that I thought I would share. It is very important to start your children out off on the right foot nutritionally. Here are my recommendations :

Here is the question: “My almost 6 month old is nursing, do you have a recommendation as to what to wean him on to? I weaned my others to whole, organic milk around 14 months old. Some of the literature I have read lately seems to suggest that milk past infancy is not as necessary as pediatricians insist that it is. I’m not sure what to think…”

Answer: First, it is very important that we point out that breastfeeding is always best. At a bare minimum, breastfeed for 12-18 months. Once your baby gets teeth it is an indication that they are getting ready for food. Conventional dairy is not desirable. If you are going to introduce dairy, wait at least 12 months and introduce organic (preferably raw) cow’s milk or organic goats milk (goats milk is a lot easier to digest).

Great foods to start with are (always do one at a time and wait at least 4 days before introducing the next) avocados, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans. After that, you can introduce some fruits like apples, peaches, pears, plums, etc. – always start with them slightly cooked and then move to raw. After 9 months old you can start adding more veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, spinach, etc. If you are going to add grains (must the the whole, healthy grains) wait until 12 months then add brown rice, quinoa, millet, oatmeal. Lastly, you could add meats, eggs, and nuts/seeds. If you stop breastfeeding before 12 months (not recommended) you may want to add some of the organic, naturally raised meats a little earlier.

For prepping baby foods. You can lightly steam the veggies/fruit and then process them in a food processor with a little filtered water. You can then transfer the pureed food to ice cube trays (make sure they are non-toxic) to freeze. Then pop them out you need them. Making your own baby food is quick, easy, convenient, and much healthier than conventional baby foods.